JUST IN: The Dallas Cowboys have signed LB Erick Kendricks to replace five significant injured players who will be sidelined for an extended period of time…
After former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Eric Kendricks opted to accept a one-year contract and renounce his agreement with the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday night, the Dallas Cowboys finally joined the free agency festivities at a critical juncture.
After coaching him in the Minnesota Vikings from 2015 to 2021, Kendricks is now back with Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
The Cowboys will need to fill a big void at linebacker in order to strengthen their run defense, which was a significant problem in 2023. Leighton Vander Esch is anticipated to retire, and Markquese Bell is probably going to move back to safety.
Kendricks provides Zimmer with a seasoned professional who is acquainted with his game plan to assist in managing the defense.
The 32-year-old Kendricks has at least 100 tackles in seven consecutive seasons.
After the 2022 season, he signed a two-year contract with the Chargers and left the Vikings.
With 117 tackles, he was second on the Chargers’ list previous season, however on March 5, he was cut due to salary limit issues. The dismissal of Kendricks allowed the Chargers to save $6.5 million.
Anticipate Kendricks to start in Dallas with DeMarvion Overshown and Damone Clark, who both missed the 2023 campaign due to ACL injuries.
Since 1997, Clarence E. Hill Jr. has covered the Dallas Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram as a beat writer and columnist. During that time, the team has had six coaches, just two playoff victories, and countless scandals, from the fall of the dynasty teams of the 1990s through the turbulent years of the Tony Romo era to Jason Garrett’s transformation of the Cowboys.